Batgirl #22

"STRANGE LOOP" part one! After a routine mission to save the day, Batgirl realizes she's been spending a little too much time in costume. Her life as Barbara Gordon is in a rut, and it's time to focus on changing things for the better. Can the sudden reemergence of her former love interest, Kai, be a sign of good things to come? Or is he bringing all kinds of trouble with him? Things are not what they seem in Burnside, and it's up to Batgirl to figure out why!

This is a great issue. The art is solid and gives the book a lot of energy. I like the story and the situation it puts Babs in. There's some good character work and it all makes for a fun read. Read Full Review

To be perfectly honest, I wasn't looking forward to another short story arc; especially once I discovered that 'Strange Loop' would be Larson's last. I like meaty stories, but the twist at the end pulled everything together for me. I've always called this title a perfect model for a Batgirl TV series on the CW. And while it still could be, this issue feels a bit different. Not necessarily darker, but definitely more adult than the CW typically goes. If you've been a fan of Larson's work in the past, be sure to soak this in"it's one of her best Batgirl issues yet! Read Full Review

This was an interesting issue. At first I thought they were being a little heavy handed with the 'blasts from the past' they kept pulling up, but once I realized there were all connected (both in the issues they appear in and in Barbara's mind) it all started making a bit more sense. I'm hoping we get more answers in the next issue " like what that gun was, or who that guy is, for that matter. I'd also like to know if Fruit Bat is another figment of Barbara's imagination, or if something bigger is going on there. Read Full Review

As always with a new arch, I'm interested to see where this goes. As I said, Babs goes through constant mental struggles with the chips in her head and her life. To see where her brain has taken her during this one is interesting though, imagining a day in her life like its nothing. Read Full Review

Hope Larson returns to her opening arc as she brings Batgirl full circle"but perhaps only to a point. Things are not entirely as they seem and, not surprisingly, it may be that there's some creepy tech involved to make it so. It's interesting to revisit characters like Kai and May, whom we haven't seen for a very long while, and especially Fruit Bat, who felt like a wonderful sage who may even have been underused in her original appearance. It looks like Larson wants to give her run on the title some proper closure and that would be pretty cool. Read Full Review

We'll see where this goes, because while the story has promise in terms of overcoming a psychological struggle, there are also things that feel a bit silly, ranging from a ridiculous looking gun and the person who owns it. We're moving back in the right direction though, so at least for that, this reader is hopeful. Read Full Review

Here's a little trip down memory lane for those that have been reading Batgirl since the Rebirth issue(s). We should probably set up some kind of support group. A common, yet unforeseen twist at the end of this issue piques my interest to give #23 a look. I mean, I review the title, so I was going to read it anyway. But the end of this issue genuinely intrigued me. Read Full Review

This is another boring story. I didn't even flinch at the idea of everyone Batgirl met in the East coming to Burnside at the same time. I expect something that lazy from this series. When it turned out that wasn't the case, I was surprised for once. The story isn't very good nonetheless.